Dawn M. Tozzi
Seton Hall University
Class of 1994, Summa Cum Laude
Two of the most difficult habits to form when entering college are time organization
and effective study habits. Unfortunately, effective studying usually relies on the
ability to organize your time and can only reach potential when practiced along with an
organized schedule. Listed below are a few suggestions for organizing your time:
- The best way to organize your time is to purchase a personal organizer or calendar which
lays out your week in a single glance. Write out everything that you have scheduled for
the week including classes, tests, practice, work, meetings, and anything else that takes
up your time. Also include time for sleeping, eating, and free time. Allot extra time to
important activities in case emergencies or unexpected interruptions occur. Do this on a
weekly basis and stick to the schedule as closely a possible. You may be surprised to find
out how much time can be saved by taking ten minutes to plan your schedule at the
beginning of the week.
- Purchase a large desk/wall calendar which lays out the whole month at a glance. Write
out all major events (exams, interviews, events, due dates, etc.) on this calendar and use
the information for scheduling your weekly calendar. This way, you will know weeks in
advance if you have to begin preparing for an exam or getting your resume togeth er.
- If you find that you are having trouble keeping appointments or handing in assignments
on time, you may have to prioritize your weekly events and possibly even drop some
activities. Prioritizing is a key factor in being able to organize your time. Know which
events are necessary to take care of right away and which ones can be put off for an other
time. Trying to do too much during one given time period may result in poor overall
performance on other important activities.
- Allow enough time for scheduled activities and know in advance what is coming up. If you
set aside time for studying or reading, give yourself enough time to study efficiently and
to take breaks. Don't wait until the last week in December to do all of your Christmas
shopping when you also have six exams scheduled. Just setting up the schedu le is not
enough. It has to be a well planned and well thought out schedule. It may take a few weeks
of trial and error before you begin to plan schedules that work well for you.
- Focus on the activity that is scheduled for the moment. If you scheduled two hours on
Thursday night to work on your term paper, don't call your friend or play computer
solitaire. Really make a conscious effort to stick to your schedule. It won't do much good
to prepare a schedule if you are not going to stick to it.
- Allow for plenty of free time, rest, and relaxation. If you schedule time for hobbies or
parties, you will be less tempted to engage in these activities when you should be
preparing for an exam. It is also important to set aside time to be by yourself and with
your friends. College can be very stressful and everyone needs time to concentrat e on his
or her own needs. Scheduling plenty of free time is also beneficial in the case of
emergencies or unexpected last minute plans which may interfere with an important
scheduled event.
While the idea of a weekly and monthly planner sounds impossible to live by at first
and seems to crush the spontaneity of college life, the whole idea is to get you to learn
the process of organization. If you can understand and use the process and form the habit
in your daily life, you will begin to see other areas of your life become mor e organized
and you will feel less overwhelmed because you will always know what lies ahead. Because
you set aside specific times to study, read, party, etc., little unexpected surprises will
not seem like such a catastrophe because you will know when you will have time to take
care of those activities which need to get done.
Organization is one of the key ingredients in developing effective study habits. Once
you organize all of the events in your daily life, adequately preparing for a test will
became second nature.
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There are many different types of effective studying techniques. You may find that some
work well for you and others do not work as well. It is important to find study habits
that work well for you and provide the results that you expect.
One popular study technique is called the SQ3R method. The "S" and
"Q" stand for "survey" and "question", and the
"3R" stands for "read", "recite", and "review".
This method is taught in many Introductory Psychology courses and is a good way to prepare
for tests in almost any course.
Survey
Take time to survey the chapter headings and main points of your text. If the
chapters are outlined for you, familiarize yourself with the key points and take notice of
how the material in each section relates to other sections in the chapter and the chapter
as a whole. Survey the key terms and the summary at the end of the chapter so that you
will be familiar with these important terms and points when they appear in the readings.
Question
Take the time to formulate questions when reading subheadings and highlighted
material and terms. Becoming an active reader will spark your curiosity and help you to
remember the material better. Write the questions on index cards using one side for the
question and leave the other side blank so that you can fill in the answer w hen you come
across it during your reading. Flash cards are useful learning techniques because they
allow you to isolate each fact and learn it as a single unit. You can also shuffle the
index cards which can help you avoid learning material in a set order.
Read, Recite, Review
After orienting yourself with the main ideas of the chapter, it is time to actually read
the material carefully. Do not move on to the next section until you feel comfortable with
the material that you have just read.
Recite the main points in your own words and go back and answer the questions
that you have on your flashcards. Create additional flashcards for definitions and key
points that you may have left out while writing down questions about the subheadings.
It is important that you understand the material clearly enough so that you are able to
answer the questions and write the definitions in your own words. Be sure to memorize the
material on the flashcards before continuing on to the next section of the chapter.
After you have completed the chapter, review your notes and the chapter and
think about how all of the material fits together. Review all of your flashcards until you
can answer all of the questions without any errors.
The SQ3R method is time consuming. If you follow all of the steps, you will find that
it will probably take you more time to read and to study than you are used to doing now.
The method is designed to maximize your learning. Therefore, although you are spending
more time with the material, you will learn the material faster and retain the information
for longer periods of time. It will probably take time for you to adjust to this new study
technique, but the results may be worth it.
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The SQ3R is one method of studying that has produced results for many people. It is
important that you feel comfortable with your studying method. Perhaps you feel that what
you are currently doing is working for you and you are getting grades that you are
satisfied with. If so, that's fine. If not, some of the following hints may help you:
- Be organized. Keep your notes and your handouts in a folder or notebook in an
organized manner. Keep up with the readings and assignments in your classes. Know in
advance when exams are scheduled or when papers are due and give yourself plenty of time
to complete them. Many times exam dates and due dates for each class are listed on your
syllabus which is handed out during the first week of class.
- Utilize your senses. Reading alone may not be enough. Recite material and
definitions out loud. Draw pictures or diagrams and form mental pictures about the
material. Go through the motions of working out equations or writing out key points.
- Use mnemonic devices. A mnemonic device is a trick to help you remember certain
information. They can be rhymes, words, sentences or anything that helps to jog your
memory. Mnemonic devices are usually most helpful when you are trying to memorize lists of
facts. You may have heard of is Roy G. Biv. This man helps you to remember the colors of a
rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
- Formulate questions in the form they will appear on the exam. If you know ahead
of time what type of test you will be taking (essay, multiple choice, etc.), try asking
yourself questions in that form while studying. This will help you organize the
information in the way that you will need to present it during the exam, and may save you
time when you are taking the actual test.
- Rewrite class notes incorporating text material. Some people find it helpful to
re-write their class notes and to incorporate information from the text reading which may
not have been covered in detail in the lecture. If you do this as you go along, when the
test comes you will have all of the information neatly organized in one p lace and you can
study mainly from one source. ( However, do not forget charts and diagrams in your text or
information on handouts.)
- Study in an environment conducive to learning. Do not study in high traffic areas
where you will be likely to be distracted. You will make much better use of your time and
effort if you have a quiet, consistent study area.
- Take frequent breaks. When studying, always schedule time for breaks. Studying
for too long may cause you to lose your concentration and for your mind to wander. Taking
a 10 minute break every 40 minutes may help you minimize daydreaming and maximize
learning.
- Form study groups. Studying in groups has several advantages. You get to hear the
material out loud in several different ways. If you do not understand a concept, someone
in the group may be able to explain it to you in using his or her own words. You may
discover that you had missed important notes or you had overlooked some imp ortant points
that your classmates have brought to your attention.
- Teach someone else the material. This is another great way that study groups are
helpful. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to somebody else. This
forces you to not only repeat the material, but you will most likely break the information
down and put it into your own words in order for the other person to full y grasp the
concepts.
- Don't cram. Cramming (studying all of the information at the last minute) is a
popular yet unproductive study method. While it may work for a very select few, the
majority of students do not yield good grades by cramming. Studying a little at a time as
you are exposed to the material is ideal. If you can't bring yourself to go o ver material
until the test is announced and official, at least give yourself a week to prepare. In the
long run, you will do better on the exam and you may actually retain some of the
information after you walk out of the examination room.
- Take good notes in class. You will find that it will be much easier to study
material that is complete and organized. If you find it difficult to pay attention in
class, try sitting in the front away from your friends and other distractions. If you have
trouble keeping up with the instructor's pace, try bringing a mini-recorder t o class with
you to class so that you can fill in the gaps in your notes after class.
- Be an active learner. Do not just read material once and glance over the headings
in your text. If you actually take the time to become interested in the material that you
are studying, you will have a better chance of actually learning the material and
remembering it come test time. Constantly ask yourself questions about the ma terial.
Figure out how it relates to material that you studied earlier in the semester or in other
courses. Seek out information in other sources relating to what you are studying to get a
better understanding of the overall concepts. You 'll be surprised to find out how much
you will learn and remember by taking an active approach to learning rather than a passive
one.
- Motivate yourself to study. It is difficult to study when there are so many other
things you'd rather be doing. Procrastination has become an art among college
undergraduates. Many students find it very hard to sit quietly and just study. If you can
make it interesting or rewarding for yourself you may find the process easier.
- Listen. Listen to your instructor's examples and anecdotes during lectures. Many
students use these times to zone out or talk to their friends. However, the information or
the moral of the story is usually related to the concepts and theories that you are
learning. The examples may help jog your memory during the test or may hel p you
understand the information better.
- Buy the study guide that goes along with the text book. Many textbooks have study
guides that correspond to the information in the text. Usually the guide will be listed on
the inside front or back cover of the textbook and can be ordered through the bookstore.
These guides have outlines and multiple choice tests which correspond to the chapters in
the textbook. It is beneficial to use these guides as a supplement to your
studying. While they are helpful in targeting important information, they usually do not
go into depth.
- Get help immediately if you are falling behind. If you do not feel that you are
doing as well as you could be doing in any course, it is important that you get help as
soon as possible. Try to discover the reason why you are doing poorly. Are you missing
classes? Do you find gaps in your notes from class? In most cases your inst ructor will be
more than happy to help you understand material that you are having difficulty with during
office hours.
- Arrange things into visual diagrams or lists. Sometimes rearranging information
into ways that make sense to you will help you learn and remember the material better.
Simply being able to take your notes and categorize them will help you a great deal.
- Read ahead. Some students find it helpful to read ahead and to become familiar
with general terms and concepts of the chapter before they are discussed in lecture. You
will understand what your instructor is talking about during class, and the repetition of
the material will help you remember it better when test time arrives.
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Several factors are involved in successful test taking. Now that you have studied and
have mastered the material, you must complete the test. While having a firm understanding
of the information is the key factor to performing well on an exam, other factors work
together with proper study habits in order to produce the best test results possibl e:
 | Type of Test If possible, find out the type of test that you are going to be
taking: multiple choice, essay, true/false, etc. That way when you study you can test
yourself by asking questions in that form which will better prepare you for the actual
test and result in your using your time more efficiently during the exam. |
| Time Limit Bring a watch to the exam period to keep track of how much time that you have
left to complete the exam. If there are multiple parts, do not spend too much time on one
section and always complete the questions you know first. |
| Follow Directions This may be the most important test-taking strategy. Many careless
mistakes are made because the instructions were not read carefully. Be sure that you
understand exactly what you are being asked to do. If you are given a choice of essays, be
sure you understand how many you are expected to answer and exactly what information you
are being asked to write about. |
| Organization For essay questions especially, try to write out a brief outline of the
information to be included in the essay so that you can avoid leaving out any important
points. If you keep your notes organized and then study them in an organized manner, you
will find that you will tend to remember all of the important points during the exam. |
| Multiple Exams If you are a full-time student with four or five courses, chances are
that you will experience weeks or days when you will have more than one exam. Although it
is easier to concentrate on one exam, having multiple exams does not automatically equal
poor performances. The most important and effective way to handle this si tuation is to
begin to prepare early and to constantly keep on top of the information in all of your
classes. If you review a little bit each day and understand the information as you go
along, it will be easier to master the material when the test date does arrive. Also, know
in advance when the tests are coming. That way you can schedule enou gh time to study for
all of the exams. Remember to prioritize and if possible put off time- consuming
activities until after the exams. |
| Double-Check Time permitting, it is always wise to check your work. This includes making
sure that you have answered all of the questions and that you have given the information
that was asked for. If you have a choice of essays or sections, make sure that you
understood exactly which answers were required and which were a choice. It is usually not
a good idea to change answers unless you are certain that you have made an error. Most
times your first gut reaction was correct. If you have answered all of the questions and
find that you are beginning to second guess several of your answers, it may be a good idea
to hand in the test even if there is time remaining. If you mast ered the information and
read all of the directions carefully, chances are that your first answer was the right
answer. |
| Materials Be sure to bring with you all of the necessary materials for the exam. Find
out beforehand if you will need a blue book for essay questions, pencils for Scan-Tron
tests, or graph paper for math equations, or whatever. Always bring a watch to the exam
period (many of the classrooms do not have clocks), and always have extra materials (pens,
paper, etc.) on hand just in case. |
| Relax This may be the most difficult test-taking strategy to follow. Just the word
"exam" causes many students to tense up. Adequate and organized preparation
should ease your mind somewhat. Other helpful hints may include relaxation techniques or
exercising to get your mind off of the impending exam. It is generally not a good idea to
study a lot on the day of the exam. A brief glance over the main points before the test
should suffice if you have already mastered the material. While you should give yourself
plenty of time to arrive early to the exam area, it may not be too relaxing to enter the
room early. The classroom atmosphere minutes before an exam is filled with st ress and
anxiety. If you have prepared for the test in an organized manner, it may confuse you or
worry you to walk into a classroom filled with nervous people going over bits and pieces
of information in an unorganized manner. If you can get a few minutes to yourself before
the exam to mentally prepare, it may do you better than to sit in the middle of a
stress-filled classroom. |
Exam Schedules
At the end of every Fall and Spring Semester, six days are set aside for the sole
purpose of final exams. The exam schedules are based on the time and day of the first
class meeting time of the week for each course. The exam schedule can be found in the
beginning of the registration book from which you registered for your classes. That way,
you will know your exam schedule at the time that you register for the courses. Each exam
period is scheduled to last 100 minutes.
All classes which meet Monday through Friday between the hours of 7am and 4:30pm are
given a designated 100 minute period during which the final exam will take place. Classes
meeting after 4:30pm Monday through Friday and classes that meet on Saturday meet during
their regularly scheduled class period during final exam week in order to take the f inal
exam.
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Sometimes, no matter how hard you try or how much you study, you still find yourself
having difficulty with a course. The most important step in correcting this problem is to
first recognize the problem and to seek help immediately. Waiting , even if it is just
until the next quiz, can be devastating to your overall performance in the course. M ost
of the time, if you have a legitimate desire to improve, your Professor will be more than
happy to sit down with you during office hours or after class to try and discover where
the problem lies and how to fix it. If you attend classes regularly and make a serious
effort to complete all of the assignments, your Professor may be able to help i mprove you
performance in the class. On the other hand, if you miss classes or neglect to hand in
assignments when they are due, you will be responsible for correcting your behavior which
will reflect in your grades.
The members of Psi Chi have also established a peer tutoring system comprised of
members of Psi Chi who are available during the semester to tutor students in Psychology
and related courses. These are students who have taken the courses and who have done well.
The specific courses tutored during a given semester vary by the amount of ava ilable Psi
Chi members who have successfully completed the courses.
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APA Format
As part of the requirements for completing Senior Seminar, Psychology Majors must
design their own original research projects and present their findings (simulated) in a
final paper. The format of this paper must follow the guidelines dictated by the American
Psychological Association (APA). Undoubtedly, you will already be very familia r with this
format by the time you register for Senior Seminar.
Although you may not have realized it, you were probably introduced to the APA format
in your freshman year at Seton Hall. If you were required to read or review Psychology
journal articles for your introductory Psychology courses, they were most likely written
following the APA format. The APA style is simply a set of guidelines that you follow for
presenting your research on paper (for example how you arrange your references, footnotes,
title page, graphs, etc.) You may have been required to use another method in high school
or in your college English courses (such as the MLA method), but as a Psychology major you
will be required to present your work following the APA meth od. When presenting original
work for publication in professional journals, most Psychology journals will require that
the format of the article strictly follow the APA method.
You will begin to learn several of the actual rules for the APA method in Experimental
Psychology, if you do not learn them before then in another course. You will be required
to purchase a detailed APA manual which clearly outlines all of the specific details that
you will need to know when you begin writing your own articles. Once yo u become familiar
with the APA method, it will probably be a good idea to follow that style for all of your
papers unless the Professor clearly asks for a different style. You should attempt to use
the method as much as possible when writing research papers. Not only is it important to
know for graduate school, but it may make writing and read ing journal articles much
easier and your work will be much more orderly.
The APA manual is one book that you should definitely keep and add to your personal
library after the completion of the course in which you were using it. You will find that
you will refer to it very often in other Psychology courses, and it may help you to better
understand professional articles if you understand the method in which they were written.
Keep in mind, though, that the APA manuals may be revised periodically. Therefore, it is a
good idea to keep an updated manual on hand to refer to if needed.
Essay Writing
The ability to write clear, concise essays is a skill that should be developed early.
Being able to communicate a message or a point on paper is a skill that is highly valued
by potential employers and graduate schools. As a college student, you will get plenty of
opportunities to practice your writing. Essay writing in some form will be required in
most, if not all, of your college courses.
The word "essay" is a vague term that is used in very general ways on college
campuses. Students have used the term essay to encompass everything from three
semi-related sentences to a forty-page research paper. The main point of this section,
however, is not to define the word "essay", but to stress the importance of
being able to wr ite clearly and correctly, whether it be a brief note to your friend or
an involved term paper.
Psychology students are required to complete at least six credits in college English
courses (ENGL 1201 and ENGL 1202). In the first of these courses (College English I), you
will review basic grammar skills (e.g. punctuation, verb tense, etc.), and learn different
types of writing (e.g informative, persuasive, descriptive, etc.). You w ill learn about
the importance of audience and tone, and you will read several short works as examples.
You will be required to write several short papers which will incorporate the skills that
you have learned. In College English II, you will read longer works and be required to
write lengthy research articles on them. This will involve not o nly comprehension and
proficient writing skills, but research skills as well. The assignments may be slightly
more involved and will require even greater writing abilities.
The importance of the skills that you develop in these courses can not be stressed
enough. The end of College English does not signal the end of your college writing. It
signals the beginning. As you begin to take higher level courses in (and out of) your
major, you will be required to write more detailed and more lengthy papers and re search
articles.
Not only will essay writing be required as homework assignments, but many of your exams
may include essay questions. If you find yourself having difficulty writing clear, concise
essays as homework assignments, imagine how difficult it will be to write an essay under
the pressure of an exam situation.
There are many skills involved in writing a well-developed essay. Most students find
that they have some difficulty with at least some aspect of writing: grammar, clarity,
thesis statements, unity, transitions, etc. Many people simply have trouble getting
started. If you do have difficulty with a particular aspect of writing, the only way that
you will be able to improve is through practice. The more you practice writing, the better
you will become if you truly put an effort into targeting your weaknesses and developing
those skills which you lack.
If you feel that you need extra help with specific writing skills, the Writing Center
(located in the basement of Alfieri Hall, ext. 5288 ) is available to tutor all students
concerning basic grammar and essay writing skills. Tutors are available Monday- Thursday
from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Because th e tutors
usually have scheduled appointments, it may be to your benefit to make an appointment in
advance.
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